Abstract: An exothermic resistor for use in a hot wire air flow meter, having a wire (2) in the form of a coil made of a metal, a pair of lead wires (3) connected to connections (21) formed at the opposite ends of the coil, and a support member (4) which integrally supports the connections as well as the coil located between the connections. An example of the support member is in the form of a tubular cylinder closed at its both ends. The support member is formed from glass only or formed of a layer of a glass-ceramic-composite material. The hot wire air flow meter is designed to be easely mass-produced and to have improved transient response characteristics with respect to abrupt changes in the air flow rate.

Abstract: A node for a loop type optical LAN using wavelength division multiplexing includes a light branching device for partially branching light from a loop of the optical LAN and a tunable filter for filtering a signal having a desired wavelength from the light branched by the branching device. The node may further include a light source for transmitting a signal to a loop of the optical LAN, an optical demultiplexer for selecting from the loop light having the same wavelength as the signal transmitted by the light source and an absorbing device for absorbing the entire amount of the signal transmitted by the light source after the signal once circulates the loop and is selected from the loop by the optical demultiplexer.

Abstract: A device for measuring the pressure tension or pull force on a rope or cable. The device includes an elongated cable having a first end, a second end, and a midportion located between the first and second ends thereof; a support member; a pulley rotatably mounted on the support member, the pulley having an outer edge about which the midportion of the cable is wrapped; the pulley having a transverse slot through at least one edge thereof; the transverse slot having at least one opened end with opposing lips so that when the midportion of the cable is wrapped about the outer edge of the pulley and a pulling force is applied to one end of the cable, the opposing lips of the opened end of the slot will be urged toward one another an amount proportion to the pulling force applied to the cable; and a measuring mechanism for measuring the movement of the opposing lips of the opened end of the slot toward one another.

Abstract: A mass flowmeter comprises a conduit with two extremities secured to a support, which conduit includes a first and second end sections extending from the respective secured extremities thereof in a cantilever-like arrangement and a looped mid section of 360 degree loop angle connecting the first and second end sections of the conduit to one another, an electromagnetic vibrator inducing a relative flexural vibration between the two opposite halves of the conduit in directions approximately perpendicular to the looped midsection of the conduit, and a pair of vibration sensors respectively measuring the flexural vibration of the conduit at two sections respectively belonging to the two opposite halves of the conduit, wherein the mass flow rate of media moving through the conduit is determined as a function of difference in the flexural vibration between the two opposite halves of the conduit such as the phase angle difference between the two vibrations respectively measured by the two vibration sensors.

Abstract: A fluidic oscillator and a flow meter including such a fluidic oscillator comprising a fluid inlet suitable for forming a two-dimensional jet: an obstacle possessing a front portion in the form of a chamber facing the inlet on the path of the jet, said chamber including two walls that are symmetrical about a longitudinal plane of symmetry passing through said inlet, the walls meeting said plane; and means for increasing the pressure on each of the lateral flanks of the obstacle in the vicinity of the front portion in alternation and in a relationship with the oscillation of the jet between the walls of the chamber.

Abstract: A vortex flow meter capable of operating with minimum piping effect is disclosed. A stream-lined protrusion , extending toward the upstream side is disposed at the upstream surface 2 of a vortex generator joined to the inner wall 1 of a flow pipe in order to remove thereat horseshoe vortexes produced in front of the vortex generator. Therefore, the possible affection of horseshoe vortexes, that may considerably depend upon the piping conditions, can be eliminated.

Abstract: Highly reliable measurements of the fluid and/or fluid flow in a conduit are obtained by insertion within the conduit, upstream of a fluid measuring or sampling device, of a fluid flow straigntening and displacement apparatus which serves to stabilize, homogenize and condition the fluid flow and form at the device a uniform, axially centered, axially symmetrical, well defined and accurately measurable flow profile of large means flow diameter. The flow straightening and fluid displacement apparatus comprises, in sequence in the direction of fluid flow, a first swirl mitigating and flow straightening device, a fluid displacement member comprised of two oppositely facing frustums jointed at their larger ends and mounted coaxially within the conduit, and a second flow straightening device. Advantageous combinations of the flow straightening and fluid displacement apparatus with known measuring and sampling devices are provided.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive flow rate sensor employs a measuring resistor unit which has a heat-sensitive resistor. The resistance value of the heat-sensitive resistor progressively decreases towards a supporting portion by which the measuring resistor unit is supported in a detecting tube. Start-up time until the required operation temperature is reached after turning on of the power is shortened and high measuring accuracy is obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus for verifying the calibration of a flow meter contains a flow sensor assembly which has a flow tube defining an axial fluid path through the flow sensor assembly; an upstream resistance thermometer in thermal contact with the flow tube; a downstream resistance thermometer in thermal contact with the flow tube, where the two thermometers are operationally connected to a means for producing an output in response to a difference between the heat flows from the first and second resistance thermometers; and means for asymmetrically transferring heat to the first and second resistance thermometers, independently of fluid flow through the flow tube. The calibration of the flow meter's thermal and electronic systems is verified by measuring the flow meter's output in response to a first asymmetric heat transfer, to the upstream and downstream resistance thermometers, when the flow meter is calibrated.

Abstract: A thermal type flowmeter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid which is equipped with a thermo-sensitive resistor provided within a fluid passage and arranged to heat while being energized. The flowmeter includes an electric power adjusting element provided in series with the thermo-sensitive resistor for adjusting the amount of electric power to be supplied to the thermo-sensitive resistor based on a current inputted to its input terminal. It also includes a constant current source circuit connected to said input terminal of the electric power adjusting element for supplying a predetermined constant current to the input terminal of the electric power adjusting element. A control circuit outputs an adjustment signal to adjust an amount of electric power supplied to the thermo-sensitive resistor so that the thermo-sensitive resistor has a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A method for determining mass flow rate of media moving through at least one conduit under a flexural vibration comprises obtaining two alternating electrical signals respectively representing the flexural vibration of the conduit at two different sections of the conduit, and determining mass flow rate of media as a function of the ratio of a value of one of the two alternating electrical signals measured at an instant when the other of the two alternating electrical signals reaches a zero value to the amplitude of said one of the two alternating electrical signals.

Abstract: A flowmeter measuring chamber having a generally cylindrical outer wall, a generally cylindrical inner wall, and a piston, having a tubular wall disposed between the inner and outer walls and arranged to oscillate within the outer wall, is provided with a mechanism for controlling movement of the tubular wall. That movement is controlled so that a capillary space is maintained between the tubular wall and the inner wall and between the tubular wall and the outer wall at all positions of the piston and contact between the tubular wall and the inner and outer walls is prevented.

Abstract: A Coriolis flow meter includes a measuring wheel which is driven by a motor. The measuring wheel has interior and exterior walls configured as cones with a plurality of guide blades extending between the walls. The center lines of the guide blades are at an acute angle with respect to the axis of the measuring wheel. A torque measuring device measures changes in driving torque of the motor. In one embodiment the measuring wheel is mounted on a cantilever laterally projecting out of the housing and supported at its exterior end on a load cell of the torque measuring device.

Abstract: An anemometer transducer wind set with no moving parts for determining both wind speed magnitude and wind direction components having an omnidirectional wind speed resultant thermal anemometer transducer and a directional orthogonal or right angle ducted thermal anemometer transducer. Omnidirecitonal single-ended element design configuration is disclosed that is used to control thermal anemometer resultant wind element spatial response to wind flow together with a wind set array configuration that combines the resultant wind measurement transducer with an orthogonal dual component ducted thermal anemometer wind direction sensing transducer.

Abstract: Single tube Coriolis flowmeter with floating intermediate section including an elongated upstream inlet conduit section, an elongated downstream outlet conduit section laterally offset from the inlet conduit section, an inlet-outlet plate rigidly connecting the inlet and outlet conduit sections together at their proximate ends, and a continuous and generally helically wound length of conduit (approximately a 720-degree coil), the ends of which are respectively continuations of the inlet and outlet conduit sections. The helically wound length of conduit includes an upstream metering loop section and a downstream metering loop section joined together by a "floating", unsupported intermediate conduit section. The upstream ends of each metering loop section are coupled by a first connecting plate, while the downstream ends of each metering loop section are coupled by a second connecting plate.

Abstract: A housing structure for reducing back air flow to the mass air flow sensor of an internal combustion engine. The housing structure consists of a housing defining a main air flow passage therethrough. A bypass passage is provided in the housing parallel to a longitudinal axis of the main air flow passage which receives therein the sensing head of the mass air flow sensor. A recovery chamber is connected to the bypass passage and is enclosed by an internal structure. The internal structure forms a pair of venturies with the sidewalls of the housing which induces an air flow through the bypass passage and the recovery chamber. A calibrated aperture is provided through the internal structure connecting the recovery chamber to the main air flow passage downstream of the bypass passage. The calibrated aperture reduces the air flow through the bypass passage during a back air flow.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the flow of a liquid through a conduit by observing the transit of an injected gas bubble through the conduit. A gas source, responsive to the pressure of the liquid in the conduit, supplies gas at a predetermined pressure to a gas injector. This allows the gas injectors to inject a predetermined volume of gas into the conduit, largely independent of the absolute pressure of the liquid. An image, produces a conduit image representative of the gas bubble and the liquid in the conduit, comprising a plurality of elements corresponding to a plurality of predetermined locations along the conduit. A timer responsive to the conduit image produces a plurality of transit times substantially equal to the times required for the gas bubble to transit between adjacent predetermined locations. A time analyzer and indicator are included for analyzing the plurality of transit times and indicating the flow of the liquid through the conduit.

Abstract: A method for measuring average mass flow velocity in a duct employing an RTD (resistance temperature sensor or detector) sensing device which is a long, thin, unitary device adapted to be distributed across an extended field for the continuous, uninterrupted sensing or interrogation of such field. A very long, thin, ductile protective metal outer sheath houses a co-extensive body of insulation material, which in turn supports and electrically insulates one or more co-extensive RTD filaments and, in most forms of the invention, one or more heater filaments. The distributed RTD sensor may be configured in various ways to have continuous linear function sensitivity, continuous variable function sensitivity, or step function sensitivity. The distributed RTD sensor is used for measuring average mass flow velocity of fluids primarily in large ducts.

Abstract: A wireless binary coded optical data receiver receives the binary encoded data via a photodiode. The binary encoded data is then supplied to the primary winding of a transformer and thus coupled to the secondary winding of the transformer. The secondary winding is coupled to a transimpedance amplifier wherein the transimpedance amplifier buffers the received binary encoded data. The buffered binary encoded data is then amplitude limited by a limiting circuit.

Abstract: A method for constructing a sensor, in particular an air mass sensor, is proposed, where at least one sensor element is structured from a wafer. The sensor element is separated from the wafer and placed on a substrate. In the course of structuring the sensor element by means of anisotropic etching, the outwardly located edges of the sensor element are simultaneously anisotropically etched, so that the sensor element is only connected with the wafer from which it has been structured by thin bridges, which are cut for separating the sensor element. By means of anisotropic etching an opening is made in a second wafer, which has a size corresponding to the geometric dimensions of the sensor element. To construct the sensor, the sensor element is inserted into the opening of the second wafer.